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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221084">Mate Marks</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aslytherspuff/pseuds/aslytherspuff'>aslytherspuff</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Wish Fulfillment Universe [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Canon Compliant, Harry Potter is Naive, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Innocence, M/M, Misunderstandings, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), Sirius Black Needs a Hug, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Werewolf Mates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:01:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26221084</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aslytherspuff/pseuds/aslytherspuff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sirius' POV<br/>AUGUST 1995</p>
<p>Harry, the Weasleys, and some of the Order are staying at Grimmauld Place during the summer before Harry's fifth year.  Harry's obliviousness leads to a very awkward conversation between Harry, Sirius, and Remus.</p>
<p>Sirius' POV of a conversation Harry then relays (innocently but hilariously inaccurately) to his friends.<br/>A one-shot extra scene set during The Order of the Phoenix / chapter five of Wish Fulfillment.<br/>Can be read and understood as a stand alone one-shot without reading the main work (but the main work is awesome and you should read it).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Wish Fulfillment Universe [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>143</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/acetabells/gifts">acetabells</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This one-shot was requested by acetabells.</p>
<p>This work is probably a T, but I've rated it an M to be safe.<br/>Because it's mainly Sirius' POV, it's a little bit darker than the rest of the series. He swears (are we surprised?). There are some slight references to PTSD, homophobia, abuse in Azkaban, and canon-typical child neglect/abuse.  There are also some mentions of adult themes and a very low-key A/o dynamic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="western">
  <b>AUGUST 1995</b>
</p>
<p class="western"> </p>
<p class="western">
  <strong>HARRY'S POV</strong>
</p>
<p class="western">It was two days until Harry's hearing at the Ministry, and his attempts at sleep had been aborted by alternating nightmares about Voldemort and images of his wand being snapped – usually, in those dreams, various members of the Order stood around, jeering and laughing. At first, it had just been members like Mundungus or Snape, and Harry had woken shaken but not overly upset. Slowly, though, others had crept into the dream. Professor Lupin. Mrs Weasley. Sirius. Hermione. Ron. After that, he'd woken up sobbing, grateful for the silencing spells around his bed.</p>
<p class="western">Early morning light was barely visible through the curtains, and in the other bed, Ron was spread out and snoring soundly. Keeping the silencing spells up, Harry <em>tergeo</em>'d his pillow, then slipped across the creaky, wooden floors and out into the hallway; years of sneaking around at the Dursleys has ingrained into him to know and avoid the worst floorboards, and he did so with practised ease.</p>
<p class="western">It was too early for anyone else to be up, but Harry thought that if he headed to the kitchen, he could just wait for Mrs Weasley to come down, pretend he'd only just gotten there, and help her with breakfast.</p>
<p class="western">He crept down the stairs in the near-dark, knowing that lighting his wand would only alert the portraits – or, worse, Kreacher – to his presence, and ducked through the doorway into the basement kitchen thankfully unnoticed. He took two steps towards the kettle, intent on making himself a tea, and froze.</p>
<p class="western">“Sirius?”</p>
<p class="western"> </p>
<p class="western">
  <strong>*~*~*</strong>
</p>
<p class="western"> </p>
<p class="western">
  <strong>SIRIUS' POV</strong>
</p>
<p class="western">It was just two nights until the full moon. Between Remus' urges and his stubbornly recurring Azkaban nightmares, Sirius had slept not a wink. Some time around three AM, he'd left Remus sleeping off the last round of sex and come down to the kitchen for several mugs of black coffee, making the most of the eerie stillness of the early morning before the ginger dictator and her many minions awoke and took over the house once again. He was halfway through his second mug – and, Merlin, caffeine used to make him feel more awake than this, he was sure of it – when he sensed more than heard movement in the house.</p>
<p class="western">He ran his fingers absently over his soulmate Mark, but Remus' feelings were still fuzzy, muted by sleep. Surely, it was too early for Molly to be up already, and the presence was softer, almost hesitant, not loud and brash the way Molly marched through the house as if she owned it. Quiet footsteps on the stairs, skipping the ones that creaked with eerie precision. One of the children, perhaps?</p>
<p class="western">He sipped his coffee, only half-interested in who might be awake so early, until he heard the footsteps draw closer and eventually enter the kitchen. As close as he now was, he could smell Harry. Confident that his godson was not a threat, Sirius drank his coffee and returned to staring at the stains on the old wallpaper. He was fairly sure at least some of them were blood. How unhygienic.</p>
<p class="western">“Sirius?”</p>
<p class="western">He turned to see Harry frozen mid-step, his hand extended towards the kettle. Clearly, he hadn't known Sirius was here. He pushed a smile onto his tired face and gestured for Harry to sit down. “Morning, pup.”</p>
<p class="western">“I didn't think anyone else would be up.”</p>
<p class="western">Sirius shrugged, finishing off the last of his coffee and standing to get more. “Couldn't sleep.” He hoped Harry would let it go; he had enough of his own problems, and while Sirius would never lie to him, he'd rather Harry didn't burden himself with Sirius' problems as well.</p>
<p class="western">“Me either,” he said, softly, and Sirius turned to face him as he waited for the water in the kettle to boil. Harry looked as tired as he felt; his eyes rimmed red as if he'd been crying, and deep, dark circles under them as bad as Moony's after a full. He looked awful.</p>
<p class="western">“Nightmares?” he asked, though he didn't really need to. Sirius, Remus, and even Molly had begged Snape to brew the boy some Dreamless Sleep but he'd refused; even Dumbledore had been unable to change his mind. According to the greasy git, the risk of addiction outweighed the issue of <em>Harry never fucking sleeping.</em></p>
<p class="western">Harry nodded tiredly.</p>
<p class="western">“Want to talk about it?”</p>
<p class="western">“Not really.”</p>
<p class="western">Sirius could understand that. He never talked about his nightmares, either. Not even to Remus.</p>
<p class="western">He refilled his mug with coffee and poured Harry a tea – lots of sugar and lots of honey, the same way Lily had liked hers – bringing them both back to the scarred, old dining table. They shared a comfortable silence; Harry sipping absently at his tea, and Sirius gulping his coffee, hoping for even a hint of energy from the caffeine gods. It was nice, Sirius thought, to be alone like this. For a little while, he could pretend that Azkaban and the Dursleys had never happened, and that he was the one raising Harry, bringing him up surrounded by magic and love and pranks the way James and Lily would have wanted.</p>
<p class="western">“Where'd you get that?” Harry asked, suddenly, and Sirius blinked sluggishly. Had he missed something? He looked up. Harry was pointing to him, so he looked down at his tattoo-covered torso, trying to pinpoint which of the many Harry was referring to. He never normally left his rooms undressed when there were people staying; he must have been so exhausted this morning that he'd forgotten. He was still slightly emaciated from his time in Azkaban and on the run, the muscles less defined and his ribs visible from certain angles. He was paler than he'd ever been, and his tattoos had faded to grey over the years. Unlike when he'd paraded around the dorms as a teenager, he had very little left to be proud of.</p>
<p class="western">A jerk of annoyance from his bond let him know that Remus was awake and all too aware of the self-loathing direction of his thoughts. He sent a soft push of love and reassurance back, then turned his attention to Harry. “Which one, Prongslet?”</p>
<p class="western">“That one,” Harry said, leaning over the table to touch the one he meant. When he was mere centimeters away, Sirius realised what he was reaching for and flinched away sharply. Harry's hand fell to the table, and his face filled with shame. “I – I'm so sorry, Sirius. I didn't mean –”</p>
<p class="western">“Sorry,” Sirius said, cutting across Harry's panicked voice. “I didn't mean to move so quickly. I'm just not used to being touched.” It was only partially a lie.</p>
<p class="western">Pain flickered across Harry's face, and Sirius heart twisted in his chest. Far from having a childhood like his parents', Harry's childhood more closely resembled his own. None of them had ever wanted that for him.</p>
<p class="western">“So,” Harry said, clearly anxious to change the topic, “where did you get it?”</p>
<p class="western">Sirius opened his mouth, then closed it again. 'The world's different now', Bill had said over dinner one night, 'only stuffy Purebloods like the Malfoys care about that shit any more'. But Sirius was still racked with the shame his family had instilled into him from a young age. Soulmates were nothing but a weakness. Marriage was about money, power, and blood. And <em>gay</em> soulmates. Well, they couldn't even be dressed up as a suitable match, the way Narcissa and Lucius had been. Gay soulmates were a source of shame best hidden away and never spoken of. And then Sirius had tried to escape to the Muggle world and realised, even without the notions of heirs and blood purity, they all hated him just as much as his parents did.</p>
<p class="western">The door creaked open, and Remus' scent surrounded him, instantly draining some of the tension from his shoulders. Sirius' mating mark itched, as if it could sense his Alpha's gaze on it, and Remus' thoughts filtered through the pack bond.</p>
<p class="western">
  <em>I will handle this.</em>
</p>
<p class="western">He tilted his head minutely in acknowledgement, slightly baring his neck to Moony as he did. The wolf grumbled with approval.</p>
<p class="western">Unfortunately, Sirius had not been as subtle as he'd thought.</p>
<p class="western">“Oh,” said Harry, softly, as if he'd suddenly realised something, “Professor Lupin, did you bite Sirius?”</p>
<p class="western">The kitchen stilled.</p>
<p class="western">“Padfoot,” Remus said, quietly, but the undercurrent of an order was undeniable. “Go upstairs and dress yourself appropriately for company.”</p>
<p class="western">Unable – and unwilling – to ignore a direct order, Sirius stood from the table and retreated out into the corridor... where he fought his instincts, desperate to hear what his mate would say to his godson. He needed to know if Harry would hate him. If Harry would think less of him for being gay, or for allowing himself to be marked like an animal. The prison guards in Azkaban – the few who were human – had mocked him mercilessly. A supposed Death Eater who was a werewolf's whore. Less than human, in their eyes. Less even than psychopaths like his cousin, Bella.</p>
<p class="western">He heard a chair scrape across the floor, then the sound of Remus settling himself down on it, his painful joints creaking. Sirius flinched. Once Snape was back at Hogwarts, Sirius would use the lab downstairs to brew Remus some pain relieving potions. It was the least he could do while trapped and impotent in this god awful house.</p>
<p class="western">“Harry,” Remus said, heavily, and Sirius tensed. “I'm going to tell you the truth, because it's what Sirius would want me to do. But I need your word that you will not repeat what I tell you.”</p>
<p class="western">“Not even to Ron and Hermione?”</p>
<p class="western">Sirius smiled. Those three were thick as thieves. As close as he, James, and Remus had been, if not more so. There was no way Harry would keep this from them.</p>
<p class="western">“You may tell them, but <em>only</em> them, and <em>only</em> if they can keep it to themselves.”</p>
<p class="western">Harry must have agreed, because Remus sighed heavily, and Sirius could feel anxiety and trepidation trickling through the bond.</p>
<p class="western">“Yes, Harry, I did bite Sirius.”</p>
<p class="western">“Because you're a werewolf?”</p>
<p class="western">Sirius flinched, but Harry had said it so casually, so calmly. The way many people would say 'because you're blonde' or 'because you like pink'. There was no condescension or judgement in his tone, just honest curiosity. Perhaps Harry wouldn't mind, after all.</p>
<p class="western">Remus hesitated, fear thrumming along the bond. “Yes,” he admitted, and Sirius could hear the reluctance in his tone. He did not want to reveal this, but he was doing so for Sirius, because Sirius had promised never to lie to Harry. “Because I am a werewolf and Sirius is my mate.”</p>
<p class="western">There was silence, several moments of it, and Sirius' palms started to sweat.</p>
<p class="western">“Harry... I didn't mean to alarm you.”</p>
<p class="western">“You didn't.” Harry wasn't lying. He couldn't lie convincingly for shit.</p>
<p class="western">“Are you... are you <em>okay</em> with this, then? Sirius and I being mates?”</p>
<p class="western">“Yes, of course.” Harry almost sounded surprised to have been asked such a question. Maybe things really <em>had</em> changed, like Bill had said.</p>
<p class="western">“Right then,” Remus said, sounding more than a bit nonplussed by Harry's lack of a reaction. “If you have any questions, you can always come to Sirius or I. No matter what the question is, whether you're here or at school.”</p>
<p class="western">“Thanks,” Harry murmured, but it sounded like an automatic response.</p>
<p class="western">“I'll see you at breakfast.” The chair scraped across the floor again as Remus stood.</p>
<p class="western">Moments later, before Sirius had the forethought to move, Remus was towering over him, his eyes gold. “I believe, <em>mate</em>, I told you to <em>go upstairs</em>.” The growl in his voice sent a shiver down Sirius' spine, equal parts anticipation and fear. Remus leaned down so his lips brushed Sirius' ear. “Go. Now. And I suggest you put up some silencing charms.”</p>
<p class="western">Sirius' control shattered and he spun on his heel, racing up the stairs and into their room.</p>
<p class="western">Bating the wolf was <em>always</em> a bad idea. But, like most of Sirius' bad ideas, boy, was it worth it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ron's POV<br/>FIFTH YEAR<br/>Harry relays the conversation to his friends with innocent (but hilarious) inaccuracy.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a direct copy of the scene from Chapter Five of Wish Fulfillment, but it adds context (and levity).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="western">Parvati and Lavender were squashed together in an armchair by the fire, giggling obnoxiously over an article in <em>Witch Weekly</em>.</p>
<p class="western">Hermione kept huffing every time they got too loud but, privately, Ron felt whatever it was was probably more interesting than 'Pre-1200 Goblin Rebellions' or 'The Uses of Salamander Blood', both of which were essays he had yet to write.</p>
<p class="western">“Ooh, look!” Parvati squealed, and Hermione slammed down her Ancient Runes textbook so violently that the whole table shook.</p>
<p class="western">“What the location of your Mark tells you about your soulmate,” Lavender read, as if announcing it to the whole room, instead of just the girl sitting beside her.</p>
<p class="western">“Studies show that the location of your Mark will reveal the truth about your relationship.”</p>
<p class="western">Hermione turned an odd shade of red at that, and Ron realised he'd been staring at her for the last several minutes. Luckily, she was too incensed by her dorm mates to notice.</p>
<p class="western">“There is not one single peer-reviewed study or Unspeakable experiment that shows anything of the sort,” she hissed angrily, and Ron knew better than to comment. Instead, he nodded silently and pretended to be captivated by his potions textbook.</p>
<p class="western">“Your Mark?” Harry asked, quietly, from Ron's other side. “I thought that was just werewolves, like with Moony and Padfoot.”</p>
<p class="western">Despite Lavender and Parvati's continued conversation, and eerie silence seemed to descend over the trio as Ron and Hermione turned to stare incredulously at their best friend. There was far too much to unpick in that one sentence. Which topic should they tackle first? Soul marks or his godfather's apparent hots for a certain werewolf?</p>
<p class="western">Harry blushed and looked away. “I was talking to Moony and Padfoot in the summer. Moony marked Padfoot cause they're friends.”</p>
<p class="western">Ron felt his mouth drop open and he was sure his cheeks were turning an odd shade of pink.</p>
<p class="western">Right, then. They'd start with the godfather issue.</p>
<p class="western">“Harry,” Hermione said, slowly, “can you tell us <em>exactly</em> what your godfather said?” They had to be careful not to use Sirius' or Remus' names in public – one was still a wanted criminal, and the other a werewolf. It would attract too much attention.</p>
<p class="western">Harry nodded. “Sure. I came down early for breakfast one morning and Padfoot was in the kitchen topless. Y'know, with all his tattoos out and everything.”</p>
<p class="western">Hermione blushed and cleared her throat. “Okay, maybe no quite as detailed as that, Harry.”</p>
<p class="western">Ron snorted. Of course Hermione had a crush on Sirius. She was exactly the kind of girl to fall for his bad boy vibe. Never mind that he was twenty years older – and, apparently, gay.</p>
<p class="western">Harry looked between his friends and frowned, but seemed to shrug it off. “I was just explaining <em>how</em> I saw it. He has a bite mark here.” Harry gestured to where his neck met his shoulder. “So I asked where he got it.”</p>
<p class="western">Ron knew <em>exactly</em> where he'd gotten it, but was too stunned by both this turn of events and Harry's obliviousness to say anything.</p>
<p class="western">Hermione's cheeks were turning steadily pinker as the conversation progressed, and Ron couldn't help but find it amusing.</p>
<p class="western">“Right,” Hermione said, “and, ah, what did Padfoot say?”</p>
<p class="western">Harry's brow creased. “That's the thing. He didn't say anything. He seemed a bit uncomfortable, actually. Then Moony came in and I could see <em>him</em> looking at the bite mark, too. And it made sense that that's the kind of thing a... well, someone like him might do. Cause dogs do, don't they? Bite each other, I mean.”</p>
<p class="western">Hermione nodded stiffly.</p>
<p class="western">Ron was amazed that Harry could have all the facts, come to the right conclusion, and <em>still</em> miss the point entirely.</p>
<p class="western">“So I asked Moony if he was the one who bit Padfoot.”</p>
<p class="western">Ron bit his cheek to stifle a laugh.</p>
<p class="western">Hermione looked scandalised.</p>
<p class="western">Harry still looked sweetly, innocently earnest in his retelling of the conversation, blissfully unaware of what had really occurred.</p>
<p class="western">“Then Moony gave Padfoot an odd look and told him to put some clothes on. Probably in case Mrs Weasley came down and saw him or something. But anyway,” Harry continued, still entirely oblivious, “after Padfoot left, Moony sat down at the table, looking all serious. But he always looks serious. He said that he'd bitten Padfoot because they were mates.” Harry paused thoughtfully, pulling his lower lip into his mouth and biting it. “He asked me if I was okay with that, which was weird. I know they're mates; them and my dad were mates since Hogwarts.”</p>
<p class="western">Oh, Merlin.</p>
<p class="western">“Harry,” Ron and Hermione said at the same time. Hermione looked at Ron and dropped her head to the table with a <em>thunk</em>. “No, that's fine, you tell him.”</p>
<p class="western">Bloody brilliant. Cheers, Hermione.</p>
<p class="western">Ron turned to Harry and decided blunt was best. It wasn't like he had any tact, anyway.</p>
<p class="western">“Harry, the word 'mates' means something different to werewolves.”</p>
<p class="western">Harry stared blankly at him.</p>
<p class="western">Good Godric.</p>
<p class="western">“To a werewolf, a mate is like a...” Ron fished for the right word. “Like a boyfriend. Or husband.”</p>
<p class="western">Harry's face turned bright red and he buried it in his hands. “Oh, God,” he whimpered. “Oh, God, how did I miss that?”</p>
<p class="western">Ron hid a laugh behind his hand, and he could see Hermione's shoulders shaking where she was bending over the table to hide her face.</p>
<p class="western">“Oh, look! It says here that if your Mark is on your chest, it indicates fidelity, but if it's on your neck, that's passion! I think I'd rather have passion, wouldn't you?” Lavender crowed loudly, the stupid cow.</p>
<p class="western">Parvati leaned over Lavender's shoulder. “Mine's on my wrist. What does that mean?”</p>
<p class="western">Harry's head snapped up.</p>
<p class="western">“Parvati's dating a werewolf?” he hissed.</p>
<p class="western">Ron sank backwards into the sofa and willed it to suffocate him.</p>
<p class="western">“No.”</p>
<p class="western">“But you just told me – ”</p>
<p class="western">Hermione dragged her head up off the table. “Two different things, Harry,” she murmured. “Siri— <em>Padfoot</em> will have two marks that link him to Moony.”</p>
<p class="western">Ron knew he did. Sirius' Mark was on his collarbone. He'd seen it in third year.</p>
<p class="western">Harry, quite understandably in Ron's opinion, looked even more bewildered. His eyes were wide and he was chewing intently on his lower lip. Ron didn't realise just how fixated he'd become by that until Hermione nudged him in the ribs.</p>
<p class="western">“Ron,” she hissed, “I am not doing this alone.”</p>
<p class="western">Harry's eyes flickered uncertainly between them.</p>
<p class="western">“Right,” Ron said, feeling a bit uncomfortable, “if you'd grown up in a wizarding family, your parents would've explained it to you... Godric, help me.” He tried to find the right words, to think back to what his own dad had told him years ago. “Every witch and wizard gets a Mark. It's one word, somewhere on your body, that tells you what your soulmate wants most. Like... the Mirror of Erised, yeah?”</p>
<p class="western">Harry nodded enthusiastically at the mention of something he actually recognised.</p>
<p class="western">“Some people get them really young, usually if their soulmate is older than them, or a bit late, if their soulmate is younger. The average age is sixteen for a witch, and seventeen for a wizard, but people have been known to get them as early as birth or as late as their thirties,” Hermione chimed in, starting to settle into lecture mode. “McGonagall took me aside in first year to explain it to me. It's all rather fascinating. No one has ever been able to prove what causes them or how exactly they work, but the Arithmantic equations all line up – every couple matched by a soul Mark is truly the best possible pairing from every conceivable standpoint. The Mark is some kind of physical manifestation of soul magic, of the link between two souls that are halves of a whole.”</p>
<p class="western">Harry blinked at Hermione, shell-shocked.</p>
<p class="western">“You mean,” he whispered quietly, “that I have a <em>soul mate</em>?”</p>
<p class="western">Hermione nodded. “Of course. Everyone does.”</p>
<p class="western">Harry's eyes began to fill with tears but he angrily brushed them away with his sleeve.</p>
<p class="western">“You mean to tell me,” he hissed, “that after all this time. After <em>fifteen years </em>of believing I'm completely unlovable, worthless in anything other than fighting Voldemort. After everything I've suffered. You mean to tell me that, somewhere out there, someone <em>loves me</em>? And not one person even bothered to <em>mention this</em> until <em>now</em>?”</p>
<p class="western">Harry snatched up his bag and stormed out of the common room, leaving Ron and a very shaken Hermione in his wake.</p>
<p class="western">Silently, without taking his eyes off the common room door, Ron reached out and pulled Hermione into his chest.</p>
<p class="western">They stayed like that until Hermione fell asleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry. I realise I said I was adding this chapter for levity, but it ends on quite a dark note.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The next chapter is the scene where Harry relays this conversation to Ron and Hermione.  It is exactly the same as it appears in Chapter Six of Wish Fulfillment, but it's been a while, so I thought I'd include it here for context (and a bit of levity).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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